Permutation lock



April 2S 1924.

` 1,492,409 F. E. WILLIAMSON PERMUTATION LOCK Filed Aug. 1s. 1923 2 sheets-sheet 1 Z2 ZZ 24 I z? zo l! J ,H 3 7 u L 3 www; 4i, 6 zu g 27' 3 I 1 E I5: 9 rj 48 "9 lf f' u 5 "gi 7 0l fl l 47 f 7 i 47` U 1- l .l vf 1 n y Il!` l I y l 4 1I Z4 Il 4Q zz 19 9' Z2 1f? 'I A ,/q V' .zz 47 2J 'f7 Eig/7 v224/9 1? e if' 50 10g/iig 3- April 29, 1924.

1,492,409 F. E. WILLIAMSON PERMUTATION Locx Filed Aug. 1e. 1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 l 2J Z za f6 J 'l l Patented pr. 29, 1924.

FRANK E. WILLIAMSON, or NoBLnsvILLE, INDIANA; l

v yrunnin'rn'rIoIt Loox.

Application med August 1e, 1923. serial No. 657,736.`

To all whom t may concern.: y f

Be it known that l, FRANK E. WILLIAM- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Noblesville, in the county of vHamilton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Permutation Looks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to permutationlocks 19 and has for 'its object to produce a lock' of this kind that is comparatively simple in construction, the parts of which are not liable to get out of order, which is reliable in use, and which cannot be readily operated by one unfamiliar with the combination of the particular lock to be manipulated, all of which will be set out in the vaccompanying specification. v Y

Referring to the drawingsf. l

Figure 1 is a plan'view of a lock embodying my improvements, the top plate ofthe casing being removed; the positions of the parts when the bolt is withdrawn and unlocked being represented in full lines, and when the bolt is thrown and looked by dotted lines.

Fig. 2is a. side elevation of the lock, yone of the side plates of the casing being'removed. "'k f If@ Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line III-II of Fig. 21 y Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. Lexcept that the parts of the lock are yindicated in vthe positions they occupy after the'selective finger bars have been manipulated and' the permuta-tion bar moved tol-free the locking bolt.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in plan showing a portion of a permutation bar with contact projections of a rigid nature.

Referring to the, drawings, QdesignatesV the casingthat enclosesthe working parts of the lock. Text to one wall of the'casing, whichl herein term the bottom wall, is supported the sliding bolt 3, one end of which extends through an end plate of the casing and is provided with a. linger, piece 4. The opposite end of the lockingbolt is adapted to be projected through the end wall of the casing, when the bolt isthrown, or to be withdrawn entirely within .the casing, accordingly as the bolt is manipulated, and as will oe hereinafter described. Springs 5 act upon the bolt and tend' to move it to inactive position,that is, with its 'locking end within the casing, as represented in full lines-,in Fig.-1. A recess 10 is formedin one edge of the locking'bolt. f l,

A 'key 9 crosses ythe locking bolt, being arranged transversely within the casing 2 and preferably just above the bolt; One of 'its ends extends through a side wall 'of the vcasing'and is provided with a knob or manipulating piece 9. ln the underside of the .shaft of the key 9 is formeda recess 20 inwhich lies the loclri'ngrbolt, this-recess lbeing of` a length substantially 'equal to the width of the bolt. A spring 7 'acts upon Y the key andy tends to move, it toits inner or locking position, represented byl dotted lines in F ig. l, which position iis taken when the'bo-lt 3 is moved toward thezright, F ig. 1, `by 'pushing v inward upony the finger piece fl. This brings the notchor 'recess 1() inthe edge of the bolt opposite to thekshoulder 2l of the key shaft, which y.then moves inward under the action 'of the spring?, loc-kf ing the bolt. The inner end 'of the key lies within` a 'housing` 11 secured to theinner yfacey of the rear side wall of the easing 2.

14 designates a permutation bar which is preferably located above and parallel with the bolt, yit beingv supportedIl at 'its Aopposite ends in housings 12,2 12 lsecured to the end walls 'of the casing, .inf which housings are also supportedthe ends of the lockingbolt 3.' The permutation "bar'lies entirely within the casing and isy of such length that yit may be 'freely kmoved longitudinally 'to a. limited.y extent' therein.'y It is acted upon by a spring 6 that normally moves it to its eXtreme limit of ymovement toward ythe left asis seen in Figs. 1 and The permutation bar carries a set of lpins or projections 16 which preferably extend from the upper face thereof. It is moved by a set of key bars 17, which I willA presently describe, andis adapted to operatea latch'Q? that serves to "hold the key in locking position, thatis, in engagement with the notch 10 in the locking bolt, as hasfbeen describedt Thela-tch 27' is pivoted aty 15 'and is formed with a toe 27 that' is vadapted Vthe key Whenever the permutation bar is manner of operating the lock.

moved to the limit ofA its travel toward the right. Y

The key bars 17 which have been referred to are supported in the opposite side walls of the casing, in position preferably just above the permutation bar 14. They are free to be 'moved longitudinally in their supports and eachcarries' a contact pin 18 adapted to yactfupon one ofthe projections 16 carried by the permutation bar. he

contact pins 18 may carry rollers 2.8A to lessen friction and .tend tothe easy working of the apparatus when the key bars are moved lto engage with and operate thepermutation bar. The Contact projections 16 carried by the permutation bar might be rigid orv stiff Vmembers projecting from the upper face of the permutation bar and formed with inclined faces with -which 'engage the contact pinsV 18 of the finger bars as represented in Fig. 5. I prefer, however, that the contacts 16 vshould be pivotally supported on the-permutation bar, as represented at 31 in TEigs. 1 and 4l. A spring y32' acts upon each pivoted contact piece 16 and maintains itin-normal working position with its inclined face B3 in Vposition to be acted upon by a contact pin 18 of a key bar. The spring 82 acts to. hold the heel of the pivoted contact piece 16 against a stopk 84 the arrangement shown krendering the contact 16 rigid or stiff when the contact pin 18` comes into working engagement with its inclined face 33, but yielding when the said contact pin comes into engagement with its oppositey or rear face, allowing the pin 18 to freely pass.

The key bars 17v preferably extend outwardly beyond both side walls of the casing where they are provided at their opposite ends with finger pieces 22. rlhey are free to Vbe moved in either direction accordingly as the finger piece at one or the other end is pressed. Some of the contact pins 18 which they carry may be located so asto occupy positions to oneside of the permutation bar, some to the other side, and others to be over the center of the permutation bar, when the key bars all occupy a mid or central position, as represented in Fig. 1; but from the outside of the casing it is impossible to tell the location of thesecontact pins, and their different relative positions determine the It follows that one unfamiliar with the arrangement of these contacts 1 8, in a particular lock will Vnot know whether a particular finger bar is to be moved toward the right or toward the left 1n order togoperate the Vpermutation bar, norl would he know the sequence 1n which Ythe finger keys are. to be manipulated in order to effect movements of the'permutationf bar. The keyk barsare preferably not only longitudinally movable as has been described, but are rotative so thatthe contacts 1,8.which they carry may be turned out of position so as not to operate upon the contacts 16 of the permutation bar, thus making it necessary that the several key bars shall be first rotated to proper positions before longitudinal movements of them can be effective in imparting any movement to the permutation bar. I therefore prefer to form the key bars non-circular in cross section and to so support themfthat ,when they are moved longitudinally to operate the permutation bar they are supported so as to be nonrotatable. l prefer to construct the key bars Vas shown, that is to say, the main portion of each bar is hexagonal in cross section, as represented at 25, andl there is a short portion between Vthe h Xagonalpart and one ofthe finger pieces 22 that is cylindrical,y as represented at 28. TheV supports for thev key bars are formed in orcarried bythe side walls ofthe casing, and shaped to fitthe hexagonal parts of the barsfairly closely, thus serving to prevent the bars from being turned so long as the non-circular portions thereof are in such supporting parts. If, however, a barbe slid endwise until, the circular portion 23 thereof oecupies the bearing or support it may then be rotated. The contact pin or projection 18 carried by a key bar extends out radially from one ofthe flat faces of the hexagonal part thereof, and it will be understood that the bar must be turned to the proper `position in-order that the contact projection may act upon the contact piece 16 carried by the permutation bar with which said projection is to opera-te. In order to assist one in using the lock to quickly determine the proper angular position to be assumed by key bar gularly adjust it until the projection 18 comes to position to engage withthe co-operatinggcontact of the permutation bar, after which. the key bar will bel slid until its hexagonal lor non-circular portion is seated in the bearing, resulting in holding the bar in position to act upon and operate the permutation bar when it is properly moved.

2-1 designates a spring adapted toy bear upon the several key bars 17. lt preferably consists of a ribbon of spring steel extending from end to end of thecasing and supported so that it bears with proper force upon thel hexagonal portions of the bar 17. Its function is. toprevent the too free movellO eective to move the permutation bar.y

ment longitudinally of these bars yin their supports. v 'y It will be seenby referenceto Figs. land 2 that the projections 16 carried by the :permutation bar are arranged iri'iegularly, kso that at any one position o f the permutation bar but a single one of said projections is in the path of movement of a contact pin 18 carried by a key bar. In the arrangement shown in the drawings, when the parts are in normal position, that is, when the permutation bar is moved to its eXtreme position to the left, the irst contact 16 from the left is the only one in the path of movement of a contact pin 18, all of the other contacts 16 being out of line with their respective contact and operating pins 18. The result is that a longitudinal movement of any key bar except the proper one,-in this instance the iirst key bar-has no effect whatever on ther permutation bar, and, with the Contact pin 18 located as represented, only a `move ment of said first key 4bar in the direction toward the person viewing-Fig. k1, will be I will now set forth the manner of using a lock such as I have described and illustra-ted, it being assumed that the parts are in their inactive positions, as represented in full lines in'fF ig. 1. Thelpart to which the lock;` is secured being moved so that the end of the locking bolt 3 is opposite 'the keeper with which it is tol engage, the one using the lock presses inwardly upon the finger piece 4 of the bolt, pushingy it to the right and into locking position. This movement brings the recess 10 in the edge ofk the bolt opposite the key 9 which', under the action of the spring 7 is moved forward or inwardly, the shouldered portion 21 thereof entering the recess 10 and locking the bolt 3. At the instant the key comes to its innermost position the opening 13 therein is opposite the toe of the latch 27 which,

under the influence of the spring 8', entersy said recess and locks the key. The parts of the lock 'now occupy the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, where they are locked or held until freed bythe movement of the `permutation bar, which takes place only upon the proper manipulation of the key bars 17. To unlock the bolt 3 the rol-y lowing manipulations have to be performed. In the first place, the several key bars must be angularly adjusted to bring their Contact pins 18 into proper positions to engage with the contacts 16 with which they severally co-r operate. The first key bar,`-from rthe left, is then longitudinally mover. so that the contact pin 18 thereof stands on the side of the contact piece 16, facingL its inclined'face 33, if it does not already occupy that posif tion, and is then moved downward, or in a direction toward the person viewingllig. l1, causing the pin 18 to engage Withtheinclined face 33 of the contact'16. -This causes the permutation bar to be moved4 forward or toward the right one step, where it isy held by the pin 18remaining in front of the conV tact 16.` rJhe second key bar to be manipu-y lated, the third bar of theseries,'is now operated'. The location of its contact pin 18 issuch that the bar must be moved in a direction opposite that of the first bar, in order to properly engage with its co-operating `Contact" 16, to cause a second advance movement of the permutation bar. The latter is heldin its advance movement by the pin 16 ofthe said third bar stoppingin front of contact 16 in position to prevent reverse movement of the permutation bar.

Thethird key bar to be manipulated, the f second one ofthe series, has its contactpin 18 located at the center of the bar17, and

hence in order to give to the permutation bar its third forward movement this key bar must `first be moved t-o clear the contact piece 16, this being permitted because the contact piece isr pivoted, and 4then the bar moved Vin the opposite direction to cause suoli engagement Awith the contactpiece 16 as toy advance thepermutation bar a third step. The last movement is performed by manipulating the fourth key ofthe set, and its operation will `be apparent from the' drawings. Asthe final movement of the permutation bar takes place the contact piece'SO carried by the permutation bar engages with the heel of the latcl1-27, rocking it uponits pivot, and releasing the key. This may be then pulled outward, by engaging with the finger piece 9 to release thev locking bolt which is thereupon moved Aby the'springs 5 andwithdrawn from yits keeper. l f

Theparts are now in the positions indi cated in Fig. 4c, being held in such positions byk reason ofthey fact that lthe contactpin 18 of. the last key bar toy bemanipulated, the fourth of the series, is standing behindthe contact 16, or in its path of movement. i

' If now the fourth keybar only be moved longitudinally the permutationbar willy be released and be moved back by its spring 6, but.v it will `move'only one step, because it will be ,caught and arrested by the contact pin 18ofthe second key bar. Should the locking boltfrnow be moved yforward into 1GOV locking position the parts .will assume their increased or diminished, an'arrangement of contact parts 16 and l18 differentfrom those shown could beadopftethlockingmeans for holding the key 9 different, from the Vlatch 27 might be used, and other changes made, Within the scope of my invention as defined bythe claimshereof, such as would readily suggest'themselves to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is Y f 1. VIn a permutation lock, thev comb-ination with a casing and a locking bolt sup- `ported therein, ot a key controlling the movementsl of thebolta permutation member movable independently of the key and carrying contacts, arranged, to control the Working relationship between the key and thebolt, and selec-tive devices for engaging With the said contacts of the permutation member' in determined sequential order to effect movement thereof to the position to permit the key to operate.

2. In a permutation lock, the combination with. al casing and a sliding bolt supported therein, .of aV key movable Within the casing arranged toengagedirectly With and to control the operationof the bolt, a permutation member movable independently of the key and arranged to` control its operation, and manually cont-rolled selective devices arranged when operated in proper sequential order, to engageV With and move the permutation member to position to permit the key to be operated to release the bolt.

8. In a permutation lock, the combination with a casing and a' sliding bolt supported therein, ot means for moving the bolt, a longitudinally movablefkey supported Within'the casing, arranged to be brought intoV engagement With the bolt to lock it, a permutation member arranged to free the bolt from the key when it is moved to a predetermined position, and selective devices formoving the permutation member to positiony to free the bolt, when manipulated in proper sequential order.

Y a. In a permutation lock, the combination with a casing and al sliding bolt supported therein, of meansfor throwing the bolt, a key for locking the. bolt, a sliding permuta tionbar arranged to control thev operation of the key, a series of projections having inclined faces carried by the (permutation bar, and selective manually-operated sliding bars carrying contact pieces, arrangedto engage with the inclined faces of the projections carried by the permutation bar, wheny op-V erated in proper sequential o rder.

5. In a permutation lock, the combination stated in claim 4L in which the contact. projections carried by the permutation bar are stilil when engaged. from one directionand yielding when engaged from the opposite direction. Y f 6. In a permutation lock,y the combination with a casing and a sliding bolt supported therein, of a key comprising a shaft supportedxin the casing so it may move longitudinally tobringit either into position to permit the bolt to be thrown or to a position Where it Willprevent such movementot the bolt, a longitudinally movable ,permutation bar arrangedto control the movements of the key, and manually operated selective devices tor moving the permutation member, when manipulated in the, proper'sequential order. y

7 In a permutation lock, the combination with a casing, av bolt supported therein, and a key for locking the bolt, of a permutation bar arranged to release the bolt wheny the bar. has been moved to a predetermined po,- sition, contact pieces carried by the bar, and a. series lot sliding selective bars arranged transversely With Vreference to the permutation bar, the opposite ends of the selective bars being` exposed and they being Jfree to move in either direction, accord ingly as one end or the other is pressed, pins carried by the selective bars arranged to engage with the projections on the permutatio-n bar to move it When the selective bars are moved in proper sequential orderand in the proper direction, certain of the pins carried by the selective bars being to one side of the permutation bar and certain to the other side.

8. In a permutation lock, the combination of a casing, a locking bolt supported therein, means for moving-the bolt, a key supported Within the' casing and movable longitudinally either to position to permit operation of the bolt or to position to prevent op'eration of thebolt, a longitudinally movable permutation bar `arranged above the bolt, a set of p-rojections carried by the permutation bar, a set of longitudinally movable selectivel bars arranged transversely with reference to the permutation bar, the ends of the selective bars extending throughV the Wallsot the casing and being exposed soV they may be moved in either direction by pressing onV one, end or the other of the bars, and pins carried bythe selective bars arranged toact upon the projections Acarried by the permutation bar When the selective b-ars lare operatedl in the proper'sequential order, certain of the pins 'being located on one side of the projections and certain on the other side, the projections jot the per-` mutation bar having: inclined faces with which the said pins arev adaptedtoy engage.

9. In a permutation lock, the combination with a sliding locking bolt, a manually vcontrolled key device by which the bolt is locked, aL permutation member, manually controlled selective devices` arranged to op'- erate the permutation member, restraining means for preventing the key device from being operated, and means carried by the permutation member for moving the said restraining means as it comes toits nal position.

10. The combination stated in claim 9 when the restraining means are in the form of a spring actuated latch.

1l. The combination stated in claim 9 having the permutation member and the key device arranged soi as to crossI each' other at substantially right angles, but each being located in different horizontal planes.

12. In a permutation lock, the combination of' a sliding bolt in they edge of which is formed a recess, a key device for controlling the movements of the bolt supported so as to be movable across the bolt and carrying a part adapted to enter the recess in the edge thereof to lock the bolt or to be withdrawn from such recess to free the bolt, means for restraining the key device in position to engage with and hold the bolt, a permutation bar, manually operated means for operating the permutation bar, and means controlled by the permutation bar for removing the said restraining means and permitting the key device to free the bolt.

13. In a permutation lock, the combination of a sliding bolt in the edge of which is formed a recess, a key device for controlling the movements of the bolt supported so as to cross the bolt and recessed on one side so that the bolt is movable in said recess, the key device being formed with a shoulder adapted to enter the recess in the edge of the bolt to lock the same or toV be Withdrawn from said recess to free the bolt, a pivoted latch arranged to engage with the key device and restrain Ait When in looking engagement With the bolt, a permutation bar, manually controlled means for operating the permutation bar, and a contact part carried by the permutation bar arranged toact, upon the said latch and release the key device* when the permutation bar is moved to a determined position.

14. In a permutation lock, the combina.- tion with a casing and a bolt supported therein, of a permutation bar controlling the move-ments of the bolt, longitudinally mov able bars arranged to act on and movethe permutation bar when they are operated in proper sequence, the said longitudinally movable bars being also rotatively supported and constructed so that each Will act on the permutation bar only When turned to a certain angular position.

15. The combination stated in claim 14, having the bars that move the permutation bar formed With non-circular portions and supports for the bars fitting the non-circular portions, thus preventing their rotation, other portions of the bars being constructed to permit the bars to be angular-ly adjusted when moved to certain longitudinal posi? tions.

FRANK E. WILLIAMSON 

